Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-23
Mills College and Proc Spraugc.


California papers, and the facts made
public leave Prot. Spraoue in quite UNI
enviable position. The facts appear to he
ms follows: The college was originally a
highly successful school tor girls, founded
and raised to II condition of high useful
ness and prosperity by DR.. and Mrs. G.
Y. Mills, the former an eminent educator
of that State, and the latter his worthy
and estimable co-worker and helpmeet,
who ls, by the way, IA sister of our late
townsman, Dr. b. 5. Nichols, now of
Pomona, Cal. Desiring to establish the
school more permanently, and in way
not to be dependent on individual lives, an
act of incorporation was procured for the
institution and the property was decided
by its founders to Il board of trustees, all
men of high standing, one of whom, DR..
|. L. Dwinell, is known 10 many Of our
Vermont readers. At the same time, in
order that the wise aud generous found
ers might carry out their plans and shape
the working of the college, it was with
the consent OF the trustees, and indeed at
their special request, leased to Mr.. and
Mrs. Mills. who continued to have a large
and proper interest in controlling its af-
fairs. Mir Nils gave it a good deal of
money during his lifetime and since his
death Mrs. Mills has given to it large
sums Of money as well az time and care
In 1855 Prof. Homer Is. Spracue, a former
principal OF Adelphi academy, Brooklyn,
and later OF the Boston Latin school, was
rendered and accepted the presidency OF
Mills college. His administration was not
satisfactory to Mrs Mills and the trustees
and after trial of year they requested
him to resign. He declined to do 80, aud
they removed him. He thereupOn pub
lished pamphlet, attacking the college,
its trustees and Mrs. Mills, in so mali
cious spirit as to surprise and notify
many of his friends and disgust fair-mind-
ed readers generally. His great griev-
ance, rs set forth in this pamphlet, was
that the fact Of the lease of the institu
ton to MIS-. Mills had been kept secret
from him. He spoke OF 1t as 4 secret
lease and declared that he had no i<uowl-
edge of it when he accepted the presiden-
cy, and that if he mad known of it, he
never would have accepted the Office.
But there was no secrecy about the mat
ter. The fact was mentioned i'll priut-
ed documents, widely circulated, relating
to the seminary ; and Mrs. Mills in a re-
ply to Col. Sprague's pamphlet, copied
from the letter in which he was formally
notified of his election as president, a per-
fectly clear and distinct statement Of the
fact that the property was leased to Mrs
Mills for four years, and that the respon-
sibllity of the management of the semi
nary would rest upon her for that tine,
unless she should choose sooner to resign
her trust. 70 this damaging relutation
OF his assertion that the existence of tie
lease was concealed from him, Prof.
Sprague has only been able to reply tLat
he never read the letter He could not
deny the receipt of it, for he had aciluoWl-
edged 1t at the time. He had, moreover,
quoted from it. But he declares that he
never read it through, till he accidentally
lighted upon it last Augusta year after
he received it Though this was the first
official communication made to him by
the board of trustees, he declares that be
flung it aside without reading There
could hardly be anything lamer than this.
But Prof. Sprague has not permitted
hms. If TO rest with so much Of self-n-
jury. When the trustees elected as his
successor, Rev. c. c. StrattUn Of the UNI
versity OF tie Pacific, pending the lat
ters acceptance of the presidency Of Mills
college, Col. Sprague sat down and wrote
him Il confidential letter, informing him
that if he went to Mills college, the facts
of an old scandal, affecting him, would be
revived and published far and wide. Dr..
Stratton replied
About p years ago | was the
victim of IA miserable Islander. at once
demanded an investigat on by the authori
ties of the church. At the end of the in
vestlgation | was fully eXonerated. The
committee, not content with simple &C
quital, added "A careful review OF the
whole evidence places his Christian and
ministerial character above SUSPICION
Their verdict has been ratified by the
church III all my assignments tor - years
Que would suppose that
after an aCquittal so full and long sus
tanned the entire subject might he per
mitted TO rest. Your letter informs me to
the contrary. Very we'll | did not turn
aside from this charge VIXEN it was first
made !; have never turned aside from it
since, and | am not aware that it has ever
turned me aside from any field which
have desired to enter. 1t cannot influence
my action now,
The correspondence appears in full in
the California papers, and carries its own
comment
Col Sprague, in a recent letter to the
New York Tribune, asserts that his nots
to DR.. Stratton was simply an attempt TO
render him service, in return for strong
sympathy extended by DR.. otratton to
him, Sprague but it will be hard 10
make the public regard it in that hight
Mills college is prospecting and Col.
Sprague's course has put it beyond his
power to damage the institution or any
one connected with il.
An Invitation from the Pacific Coast
There is a good deal i'm the sIlpgeStion of